The present disclosure relates to using electronic devices for improved calculations of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published or FAA Air Traffic Control assigned aeronautical holding patterns. There have been previous efforts to determine holding patterns for aircraft. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,110,965, issued on Nov. 19, 1963, to James A. Kittock, discloses a device to aid pilots in entering and maintaining a holding pattern from a preset holding fix. It is not a method using an electronic device, but is an entry calculator (for tear drop, parallel and direct entries), and has no wind corrections.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,171, issued on Jan. 8, 1980, to Ivan L. Looker, discloses an aircraft navigation device that aids a pilot in flying holding patterns. Although it includes very high frequency omnidirectional range (VOR) radio receivers, it is not a method using an electronic device, does not calculate a heading, and does not calculate wind corrections.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,204, issued on Jun. 23, 1981, to Freddy R. Self, discloses an aircraft pattern computer, that is a mechanical device, rather than a method using an electronic device, and is primarily a traffic pattern calculator, not a holding pattern calculator, and does not calculate outbound heading or wind corrections.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,167,627, issued on Jan. 2, 2001, to Bruce Gary Wilder and Otto Charles Wilke, discloses an aeronautical holding pattern calculator, having both mechanical and electronic embodiments.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,678,587, issued on Jan. 13, 2004, to Ronald J. Miller, discloses a system for a tanker plane entering a rendezvous orbit with a plane to be refueled, that includes entering a holding pattern. It is designed for military operations, and for airspace that is designed specifically for an air refueling mission, not for civilian holding patterns.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,847,866, issued on Jan. 25, 2005, to Chad E. Gaier, discloses shortened aircraft holding patterns using a flight management system (FMS). It is for exiting a hold, not staying in the hold, and it does not indicate whether you are within the limits of FAA protected airspace.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,003,383, issued on Feb. 21, 2006, to Jim R. Rumbo et al., discloses a flight management system using holding pattern entry algorithms. Its algorithms are specifically for hold entries (teardrop, parallel and direct) and it does not account for FAA holding space parameters.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,152,332, issued on Dec. 26, 2006, to Ashish Kumar Jain and Gerald Lamar Miley, discloses a navigational assist system for determining entry procedures for holding and runway traffic patterns. It is a simplistic mechanical device, rather than a method using an electronic device that calculates outbound headings and wind corrections, and depicts holding space limits.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,370,790, issued on May 13, 2008, to Jan Martincik and Jana Martincikova, discloses an apparatus for visualizing and determining a holding pattern and entry procedure. It is a mechanical device, rather than a method using an electronic device. It is a visual aid to identify the quadrant the plane is flying in for teardrop, parallel and direct holding pattern entries. It neither corrects for wind nor provides information on an outbound heading or airspace.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,903,000, issued on Mar. 8, 2011, to Jason L. Hammack et al., discloses a system for representing a holding pattern on a vertical situation display. It does not show a wind compensated holding pattern and FAA protected airspace.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 377,942, issued on Feb. 11, 1997, to John K. McCloy, discloses a design for a multi-layer rotary holding pattern entry calculator. Again, it is a mechanical device, rather than a method for using an electronic device. It is for entry information only, not the hold itself. It does no wind or heading calculations.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0319100, issued on Dec. 24, 2009, to Nitin Anand Kale and Keshav Rao, discloses systems and methods for defining and rendering a trajectory of an aircraft. It may be used for holding patterns. It may re-label a way point as a holding way point. It does not calculate holding patterns to stay within depicted FAA holding airspace.
Japanese Patent No. 7-104853, published on Apr. 21, 1995, inventors Takashi Oki, Masahiro Hattori and Naoyuki Yamashita, discloses an automatically guided flight system for an airplane, capable of following an airplane in a turning course while holding a turning radius. It does not appear to be designed to calculate holding patterns.